Page 1163

1885.] Document Xo. 16. 13
pointed out the value of these nodules, and says of the conglome-rate
in which they are found: "If it should prove extensive it
Avould form an excellent fertilizer." He noted their resemblance
to the crag phosphates of England. He expressed the hope that
in some " favored place," to use his own words, " coprolites might
be discovered in sufficient quantity to pay the expenses of ex-tracting
tliem." To the information thus conveyed, the period
from 1852 to 1883, a period of over thirty years, made little or
no addition. Prof. Shepard, indeed, in his report upon the phos-phate
beds of South Carolina—made in 1880—after sketching
the section embracing the territory of active operation, says :
"The territory thus described, by no means contains the entire
formation which certainly extends into North Carolina." The
information thus afforded was not, until the Board took the mat-ter
in hand, ever acted on. There was no exploration of that
region of the State up to the boundaries of which these phos-phate
beds were traced in South Carolina. It has been known
for many years that coprolites were found in and about Lake
Waccamaw; but there as elsewhere, in this State, they were
regarded as accidental and fortuitous. Xo hope has been encour-aged,
no hint afforded up to the spring of 1883, of any proba-bility
or possibility that they would be found here in workable
beds.
The discovery of phosphates here, at several points, demon-strated
that the same conditions had once existed in both States,
and warranted the conclusion that valuable beds might be found
in this State.
The Board was also prompted to the exploration by a consid-eration
of the wealth that might flow therefrom to the State. It
was estimated by Prof. Shepard, in his report in 1880, that the
South Carolina phosphates had brought nine millions of dollars
into that State. Such a source of wealth, even if but a possi-ble
one, could not be disregarded.
There was another consideration which w^eighed much with
the Board. It was felt that no section of the State possessed
stronger ckims upon the Board than that in v/hich these phos-

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1885.] Document Xo. 16. 13
pointed out the value of these nodules, and says of the conglome-rate
in which they are found: "If it should prove extensive it
Avould form an excellent fertilizer." He noted their resemblance
to the crag phosphates of England. He expressed the hope that
in some " favored place," to use his own words, " coprolites might
be discovered in sufficient quantity to pay the expenses of ex-tracting
tliem." To the information thus conveyed, the period
from 1852 to 1883, a period of over thirty years, made little or
no addition. Prof. Shepard, indeed, in his report upon the phos-phate
beds of South Carolina—made in 1880—after sketching
the section embracing the territory of active operation, says :
"The territory thus described, by no means contains the entire
formation which certainly extends into North Carolina." The
information thus afforded was not, until the Board took the mat-ter
in hand, ever acted on. There was no exploration of that
region of the State up to the boundaries of which these phos-phate
beds were traced in South Carolina. It has been known
for many years that coprolites were found in and about Lake
Waccamaw; but there as elsewhere, in this State, they were
regarded as accidental and fortuitous. Xo hope has been encour-aged,
no hint afforded up to the spring of 1883, of any proba-bility
or possibility that they would be found here in workable
beds.
The discovery of phosphates here, at several points, demon-strated
that the same conditions had once existed in both States,
and warranted the conclusion that valuable beds might be found
in this State.
The Board was also prompted to the exploration by a consid-eration
of the wealth that might flow therefrom to the State. It
was estimated by Prof. Shepard, in his report in 1880, that the
South Carolina phosphates had brought nine millions of dollars
into that State. Such a source of wealth, even if but a possi-ble
one, could not be disregarded.
There was another consideration which w^eighed much with
the Board. It was felt that no section of the State possessed
stronger ckims upon the Board than that in v/hich these phos-